


Tales Around The Campfire

by tokyocherry



Series: Beomkai Roommates [9]
Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, BeomKai, Camping, Crying, Dramatic, Fighting, Fluff, Jealous Huening Kai, M/M, Melodrama, Nature, Roommates, TW: Domestic Abuse, mention of Chaewon/GoWon, nerf gun references, oblivious beomgyu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:01:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24564277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tokyocherry/pseuds/tokyocherry
Summary: beomgyu faces a dilemma on telling kai the news about the arranged marriage. kai gets suspicious of beomgyu's new 'friend'.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Huening Kai
Series: Beomkai Roommates [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1581565
Comments: 21
Kudos: 103





	1. The Nature of Suspicion

> _previously on Beomkai Roomates..._

Beomgyu tilts his head in confusion. “Dad, what’s going on?”

“Her father and I were talking about expanding our businesses together and we’ve come to the decision to bridge this connection with our children.”

Beomgyu’s mouth drops in shock. “So what you’re trying to say is…”

“You and Hyejoo will be getting married to each other.”

> _and the story continues..._

“WHAT?!” Beomgyu looks at his father in disbelief. “You can’t just do this to me!”

“What do you mean? It’s pretty normal in businesses for their children to marry together.” Beomgyu’s dad gives him a blank stare before continuing. “Plus, it’s not like you’re dating anyone at the moment, or is there _something_ you’re not telling me?”

Beomgyu gulps visibly. He can’t say anything. He promised Kai he wouldn’t tell anyone about their relationship yet.

“I _refuse_ to be a part of this.”

Beomgyu was about to head back when he suddenly feels a hand grip his arm.

“You _will_ be a part of this whether you like it or not. I’m doing this for your own good.” His father spits out menacingly before letting go of his arm.

Hyejoo looks at him with sympathy. She feels extremely awkward being an audience to this father and son conflict.

“You will be partners for the activities by the way. So, at least try to get to know each other.” He tells the both of them before leaving with his bodyguard.

The air is thick with tension between Beomgyu and Hyejoo as they stand together in silence. 

Beomgyu cannot believe this at all. He can’t just marry someone else, a stranger at that. He’s with Kai and as corny as it sounds, he can’t see himself marrying anyone else other than him.

“Well, at least you handled that better than I did.” Hyejoo breaks the silence, an amused smile forming on her face.

Beomgyu raises his eyebrow at her.

“Ah, I mean, in my case I threw a tantrum back at home. I think I broke about 3 vases, the coffee table and half of a window. Plus, I also threatened to run away.”

Beomgyu realizes this girl was not to be messed with.

He laughs at that for a split second before reverting back to his depressed state. He sits down on the ground, his back hitting the wall.

“Look, I know how horrible it sounds right now, but at least try to consider it. I know you don’t want to marry me and I feel the same way but…we really don’t have a choice.”

Hyejoo sighs, sitting down along with Beomgyu. “I’m scared of going against my father.”

Beomgyu snorts. At least they have something in common.

“But you threw a rampage at home?”

“Yeah, well look how that ended up. I got sent to this stupid camp to suffer with a bunch of strangers instead of waiting back home for a ‘formal’ meeting with you.”

Beomgyu buries his head in his hands. “It’s just…I’m already in a relationship.”

“Me too. Or at least I hope I still do.”

“What do you mean?”

“She uh… didn’t take the news so well. I got sent away here before I could patch things up with her.”

Beomgyu’s heart races. Now, he was seriously doubting about telling Kai.

“What’s the plan then?” Beomgyu looks over at Hyejoo. She looks down sadly before shrugging.

“I have no idea.”

* * *

Beomgyu walks back to his seat in silence. He was not expecting an arranged marriage at all.

He’s still appalled that his father wants him to marry someone just for the purposes of business. Does he think his son is like cattle? What kind of father would do that?

Beomgyu sits down, feeling defeated. Without hesitation, Kai grabs his hand and starts rubbing circles on his palm. He meets Kai’s eyes and immediately feels a surge of warmth and relief.

It’s going to be alright. As long as he has Kai, he can think of a solution to this. He’ll always have hope.

Kai leans to whisper to him. “Are you okay? You seem a bit spooked.”

Beomgyu intertwines their hands together secretly.

“I’m alright. Dad just gave me some reminders.” He lies, still thinking of a way to tell the other boy about the news properly. “Also, I uh may have to partner up with someone else at the activities though.”

Kai blinks, unfazed. “Ah that’s fine. I don’t like being teammates with you anyways, you tend to get a little too competitive.” He laughs heartily.

Beomgyu sighs in relief. “Yah! You know you didn’t have to say all that. You really had to expose me like that?”

Kai presses a soft kiss to his fingers. “I don’t mind you being too competitive. In fact, I think it’s quite attractive.”

Beomgyu flushes a deep red, stunned at Kai’s sudden confidence.

“So, what did I miss?” He changes the subject.

“Ah, they said they’re giving us some free time tomorrow after the activities. Apparently, we’re free to do whatever we want after 4 pm.”

Beomgyu grins widely. “Guess we have time to do our plans after all.”

* * *

They were split into different groups based on the company they worked with. The people that each worker brought with could also be given the chance to join. Since Beomgyu had Hyejoo as his partner for the activities, Kai had a different partner himself.

“Hello, I’m Lucas! I saw that you didn’t have a partner and was wondering if you would like to partner with me.” He apologetically asks, before motioning to his pregnant wife on the bench.

“My wife is pregnant and it wouldn’t be a good idea for her to get stressed from today’s activities.”

Kai nods in understanding. “I’d love to sir! I’m Kai. Nice to meet you.”

They shake hands and head towards the woods, getting ready for their first activity which was a knot untying activity. Kai spots Beomgyu from afar talking with a girl. For some reason, he gets a bad feeling from seeing them.

He quickly jogs up to Beomgyu and rubs his belly to alert him of his presence.

Beomgyu’s face light up upon seeing Kai. “Baby! How are you? You have a partner now, right?” He asks.

Kai nods, motioning to Lucas tending to his wife. “Yeah, how about you?”

“Oh right! Um, Kai, this is Hyejoo.” Beomgyu awkwardly steps aside for the two of them to meet close. “She’s uh from my father’s friend’s company. And Hyejoo, this is Kai, my boyfriend.”

“Nice to meet you, Hyejoo!” Kai beams at her.

“Um yeah, nice to meet you too.” She awkwardly replies, glancing nervously at Beomgyu.

“I hope you’re ready to be partners with this hothead over here.” He leans closer to whisper to Hyejoo. “It’s totally alright if you give him a smack on the head if he gets too much, I’ll allow it.”

She giggles. “Okay, I promise.”

Kai wanted to chat with her more but unfortunately, one of the camp leaders who will be watching over the activity arrived. He starts guiding the pairs to their proper stations as well as giving out the instructions for the game. Lucas calls Kai’s attention from afar.

“Guess I have to go now. I’ll talk to you guys later?”

“Yeah, totally. Goodluck!” Hyejoo replies.

Kai leaves the two of them alone making Hyejoo sigh in relief.

“What’s wrong? Did you not like Kai?”

“It’s not that. It’s just never not awkward to meet the boyfriend of your ‘ _to be’_ groom. When are you planning on telling him?”

Beomgyu turns away from her.

“I don’t know. I don’t want to break his heart.”

“Well, you’re gonna have to tell him soon. For his sake.” Hyejoo pats his back comfortingly. “Now, let’s go do this dumb knot activity to get it over with.”

She glares at the massive clump of knot in their table. Slowly, she starts fiddling in the middle to loosen it up. Beomgyu is in awe seeing their knot unfold easily.

“Shit, how are you so good at this?”

Hyejoo smirks, flipping her hair jokingly. “I’m good at everything.”

They laugh and start working on their knot together. From afar, Kai eyes them suspiciously. He works on Lucas and his’ knot but it doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere. It seems like their lump of rope just kept on getting tighter and tighter every time he touches it.

“Kai, are you okay? Your mind seems to be somewhere else.”

He tears his eyes away from Beomgyu and Hyejoo in a not so obvious way.

“Uh yeah! Just focusing on untangling this stupid knot.”

“Are you sure? I caught you looking at Beomgyu and that girl. Do you know them?”

Kai nods. _‘He’s my boyfriend.’_

“He’s my roommate.”

Lucas switches to a hushed tone. “You know, I prefer not to listen to gossip but…apparently those two are the children of two powerful CEOs.”

That catches Kai’s attention.

“Wait. Hyejoo isn’t just a worker from some other company?”

“I’m not exactly sure what her job is but from what I heard, she’s the daughter of a CEO from another big corporation.”

Kai was visibly surprised. Is there a reason why Beomgyu hadn’t told him that? He looks over to them again. The two partners were currently laughing hard, the knots draped over them and entangling them together. Beomgyu seems to be enjoying her company a lot.

He knows he shouldn’t be worried but something about this just didn’t sit right with him.

“Why do you think they’re partners?”

Lucas stands still for a moment, deep in thought.

“Don’t quote me on this but rumors are spreading that they’re being set-up.”

“Being _set-up?!_ ”

“Yeah, those two are getting set-up together for marriage probably.”

Kai’s heart stops. _Marriage?_ Between Beomgyu and Hyejoo? There’s no way this is true. Beomgyu would never do that to him. He closes his eyes, touching his head feeling like its spinning.

“A—are you sure? ‘Coz Beomgyu is definitely already taken.”

“Ah really? Oh well, these are all just rumors anyways. It’s probably nothing, then.” Lucas shrugs.

Kai feels like he’s been holding his breath since forever. He tries his best to convince himself that this is just dumb office gossip. His mind is screaming to trust Beomgyu but some little part of him is saying otherwise.

He glances at the ropes in front of him. Somehow, his mind ended up being the messed up one. How ironic.

* * *

“You take the left and I’ll take the right.” Beomgyu advises, taking light steps to the right. They were currently doing a nerf war activity and was one of the few pairs remaining in the game.

They continue stalking this pair they found and had followed deep into the forest. Beomgyu sits behind a tree to call their attention and bait them. The two fortunately take the bait and turn their backs to check on the noise.

Hyejoo quietly comes out from the other side and shoots one of them square in the back, holding up her nerf gun menacingly. Once the remaining one in the pair take off running, Beomgyu aims at him and shoots with his own nerf balls hitting the target on his back.

“Good job!” They re-group and high-five each other.

“Man, I still can’t wrap my head around how good you are at this.”

Hyejoo shrugs. “Playing a lot of FPS games definitely helps.”

“Yo that’s sick! We definitely need to play together online one of these days.”

“Sure, _but_ not before you tell Kai about the truth.”

Beomgyu stops in his tracks, sighing. Throughout the day, Hyejoo has been pressuring him to tell Kai about their current situation. Beomgyu, of course, wouldn’t listen. He moves closer to Hyejoo, now speaking in a hushed tone.

“Why do you keep pushing me like this?”

“You know you can’t just ignore it. You’re gonna have to tell him the truth sooner or later.”

“I know! It’s just hearing you say that your girlfriend didn’t take it so well is making me nervous.”

Hyejoo straightens up her gun and points it at Beomgyu jokingly. “Yeah, that’s true that she didn’t take it so well. Who in the world would take a news like that lightly? Kai seems like a nice person. I just hope he’s going to be hearing the news directly from you.”

“What do you mean? Where else would he get it from?”

“Who knows? Rumors spread fast. Especially with how office workers usually are. I just hope that _you_ will be the one to clear things up with him.”

“Fine, jeez! I’m gonna plan a time to talk to him soon. Now, can we talk about something else now?” Beomgyu pouts, kicking a branch on the ground. “How about you tell me about your girlfriend?”

“Hmph. I hope I can still call her than when I get back home.” Hyejoo smiles bitterly. “Her name is Chaewon. She’s a bit shorter than me, blonde hair, beautiful and is also the funniest person I have ever met.”

Beomgyu smiles at that. “How long have you known her?”

“We were both childhood friends. She’s been with me through thick and thin. She was there for me when nobody was. She even helped me figure out my sexuality, and when I found out she feels the same way as me, it was like finding out you won the freaking lottery.”

“You seem like you really love her.”

“I do, which is why I want to make it up to her immediately when I get back home.”

She grabs a branch and hits Beomgyu with it.

“Ouch! What the hell was that for?”

Hyejoo laughs at him. “Nothing, the air was just getting too…mushy. Needed to change it up a bit.”

“Oh yeah? Well about we play a game then?” He motions to his gun. “First one to get hit by the nerfball has to do an embarrassing dare later.”

Hyejoo smirks at him, shaking his hand.

“Deal.”

The both quickly take off running in opposite directions, giggling to themselves. Unbeknownst to them, Kai was watching them from far away the whole time. He couldn’t help but investigate why the two was in very close proximity together. He even overheard a tiny part of their conversation. 

_‘Beomgyu-hyung is gonna tell me the truth soon? What does he mean by that?’_

* * *

As the day’s activities went on, Kai just can’t help but keep on noticing how close the Beomgyu and Hyejoo seemed to be. Those two are seemingly always never apart and whispering to each other. Kai knows he can’t let rumors ruin his perception but when it’s obvious in front of him, he can’t help but get suspicious.

When it finally hit nighttime, the pairs in each company formed groups of their own to make their own camping fire. Of course, Kai and Lucas grouped with Beomgyu and Hyejoo. The four huddles up together around the fire, clutching their flasks of hot drinks.

Suddenly, Lucas stands up and grabs his bag. “Kids, I’m gonna go check up on my wife. I’ll be back much later.” They all nod and settle back comfortably.

The night air passes through them, chilling them with its icy breeze. Kai moves closer to Beomgyu and grabs his hand, intertwining them under the blanket.

“You cold, baby?”

Kai blushes. He nods and grips Beomgyu’s hand tighter. He trusts his boyfriend. He does. He promises he won’t let any dumb rumors ruin their relationship.

“So, how was the games today? I was shocked seeing you too doing so well.”

“That’s because your boyfriend was playing, baby. I told you how good I am.”

Hyejoo snorts. “As if. I basically carried all the games on my back.”

All three of them laugh at that.

“Yeah fine, I’m not even gonna deny that. Believe it or not but Hyejoo was better than me at everything. Can you believe that? Someone better than your boyfriend?”

Kai giggles, sipping his coffee. “Oh I absolutely do.”

“You’re both such meanies.” Beomgyu pouts cutely.

Hyejoo snickers at that. She tends to their campfire, pushing the logs around. She flashes Beomgyu a look, which means he should tell Kai soon. His face contorts in panic.

Before he could make a move, Kai stirs beside him. “Baby, where’s the bathroom in this place again?”

“It’s inside the assembly hall to the right I think.”

“I’ll be right back, keep that butt warm for me.” Kai sneakily plants a kiss on his cheek, winking at him. Beomgyu feels pressured from Hyejoo’s gaze again across from him.

“Hyejoo? Can I ask you something?”

Hyejoo nods.

“How did it go with you telling Chaewon about the.. _y’know_? I know you told me it went bad but if it’s okay with you, I want to hear exactly what happened.”

The girl was silent for a while. This question was basically like opening an old wound. But she feels like this was going to be the big push that Beomgyu needed for him to tell Kai the truth.

“We were at my place, just hanging out.” She finally responds. “I knew something was wrong when my father’s bodyguards appeared at my door. So, I told Chaewon I was gonna be back in a while. Then, at my father’s place, he told me all about the arranged wedding and etc., so in return, I trashed the place.”

She jabs the firepit angrily. “I was so mad at him that I immediately stormed back home. But then, I found Chaewon weeping on the ground. Turns out one of my father’s bodyguards had told her the news beforehand.”

Beomgyu looks at her in pity, his heart breaking.

“She uh looked so small and fragile—” Her voice cracks, prompting Beomgyu to rush to her side to comfort her. “Thanks.”

“So uh, she asked me immediately if it was all true. Tears was streaming down her face and I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t lie to her, especially when she was already hurting. So I just decided to be honest. After that, she broke down even more.”

Hyejoo sniffles, covering her face with her hand. Beomgyu wraps his arm around her comfortingly, grabbing her other hand.

“After that, she was gone. Blocked me on everything. I don’t know if I’m even going to have the chance to fix _anything_ when I come back.”

“I’m so sorry that happened, Hyejoo. I shouldn’t have asked you to open up.”

Hyejoo shakes her head, wiping her tears.

“No, you have to hear this. This is why I keep reminding you to plan properly and pressuring you to tell him soon. I don’t want your situation to end up like ours.” 

“I completely understand now. I promise to do it as soon as he returns.” Beomgyu guides her head to lean on his shoulder as she continues to weep.

* * *

“Man, the line for the bathroom was _way_ too long…” Kai mutters to himself as he blindly tramples back to their campsite. Suddenly, a familiar figure stops him in his tracks.

“Kai! What are you doing around here?” Lucas asks.

“Oh, I just went to the bathroom. How ‘bout you? How’s your wife?”

Lucas motions to two large grocery bags he’s carrying. “Well, she had a lot of… requests but she’s doing pretty well. In fact, she even spent the whole day just chatting it up with the other workers.”

“Oh really? What did they talk about?”

“You remember what I told you about that girl and your roommate?”

Kai blinks back, stunned. Was there really more to that rumor?

“Y—Yeah. What about it?”

“Apparently, they really are going to have an arranged marriage. The other workers overheard them talking with Beomgyu’s father this morning when we had the assembly and orientation.”

Kai feels tears springing to his eyes. He bites his lip down enough to draw blood. His nightmare had come true. This cannot be real. It was just his imagination right?

Lucas continues, oblivious to Kai’s reaction. “I guess that’s why they were being so lovey-dovey during the group activities. They were even the talk of the whole camp. Ha! Good for them. Anyways, I gotta go to my wife now, I’ll see you guys later!”

He leaves Kai alone in the dark to process everything. Kai stumbles to the ground, tears trickling down his face. He pauses, forgetting one major fact about all of this. Beomgyu was back at camp. He could clear things up. He could explain everything to him about how this is all just a misunderstanding right?

He hurries back to their campsite but stops midway in his tracks upon seeing the scene in front of him. Beomgyu and Hyejoo were currently cuddled up by the campfire, with Hyejoo’s head resting on his shoulder. Kai notices them holding hands as well.

“B—Beomie-hyung?” He pathetically blubbers out, catching the attention of the pair.

“Why…?” His own heart breaks at the sound of his pained voice. “Why did you betray me?”

Beomgyu quickly stands up. “Kai, it’s not what you think—"

Before he could finish, Kai immediately takes off deep into the forest, the look of panic on Beomgyu and Hyejoo’s face the last thing he sees.


	2. Race To The Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in an effort to save kai, beomgyu enlists the help of an unlikely ally. however, things are not always what they seem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning(!): domestic abuse

Beomgyu and Hyejoo look at each other in fright, neither of them can believe the event that had just transpired. 

Kai had just run away, crying, for some reason upon seeing the two of them. Beomgyu was confused, did Kai know something about them? He was sure he hadn’t told him anything yet. Did Kai really just get the wrong idea? He had only introduced Hyejoo to him as a friend.

Yes, they were currently being set-up to get married but Kai didn’t know that yet. Unless...someone told him? Beomgyu could feel his chest heaving in pain. He needed to get to him, he has to explain everything. But before he could chase after him, a hand grabs his arm. 

“Wait.” Hyejoo says firmly. “I’ll go to him. I can run very fast and it’s my fault anyways for getting so close to you. Poor boy probably got the wrong idea.” 

“But--“

“No, it’s decided. You go to your dad instead and ask him for help for everyone to come find him. These woods are dangerous. We need all the help we can get.”

Beomgyu thinks it over, it makes sense as he had seen Hyejoo in action during the games. She could get to him before things get worse and he gets even more lost in the woods. It’s also better to get the attention of his father. He could prepare a search team ready for Kai. Being his only son, his father should at least help him right?

“Alright.” Beomgyu agrees. “But what about you? Aren’t you afraid of heading into the dark woods alone?” 

“Are you kidding?” Hyejoo snorts. “I’m only afraid of _one_ thing and that’s Chaewon. I’m gonna be alright.” She motions for Beomgyu to go. “Goodluck with convincing your father. You can do it.” 

And with that, she takes off quickly, the sound of her boots crunching the leaves and branches echoing into the night.

Beomgyu hurries as well, running to one of the bigger tents, closer where they had gathered for the morning announcements. He approaches, out of breath, to one of his father’s bodyguards. 

“Do you know where I can find my father?” He pants. The bodyguard looks at him suspiciously before motioning to follow him. 

The bodyguard takes him inside to where his father was currently staying. Beomgyu takes a look around the place, where various equipment, applications and other household items were sprawled out. His father even had a big flat screen in here. 

_‘So much for actual camping, I guess.’_

Beomgyu finally sees his father laid out on a recliner, viciously swiping on an iPad. He quickens his pace, he can’t let a single second go to waste.

“Dad!” 

His father looks up, raising his eyebrow at the sudden intrusion of his son.

“What is it, son? I’m in the middle of something.” His father replies, continuing to swipe on his iPad. Beomgyu peers into the screen to see that he was only playing Candy Crush.

“Dad, I need your help. Kai he...he got lost in the woods! Can you please ask your people to help us search for him?” Beomgyu begs, a slight quiver in his voice. 

“What do you mean _‘lost in the woods’_? What happened to him?” 

Beomgyu subconsciously tenses up. How could he even explain everything to his father without him finding out that they’re in a relationship? 

“He was uh looking for more fire wood but he hasn’t returned in a while. Please, I know he’s lost out there. We need to get him back soon.” Beomgyu pleads to all the gods hoping he sounded convincing. 

“Very well.” 

Beomgyu’s father grabs his phone and sends a quick text to someone. “There. Go outside and coordinate with my bodyguards.” 

Beomgyu could cry. Finally, his dad wasn’t being a piece of shit. “Thank you!” Beomgyu cries out, turning around and ready to leave. 

Suddenly, his father’s voice greets him again, this time with a different tone. One that seemed to be insinuating something. “I sure hope you find your friend. You seem very... _fond_ of him.” 

Beomgyu gulps. “He’s my roommate. Of course, I care about him a lot.” He responds, rushing out of the tent before his father could get out another word. He’ll have to come back to that later. 

Beomgyu sees the team of 10 people that his father had called and relayed to them the instructions. He can’t think about what his father’s words meant right now, finding his boyfriend should be his number one priority. After briefing them, they descend into the woods, all of their gears ready. 

“Kai!” Each of them bellows out every few minutes, making the crows perched on the highest branches fly out. The sky seemed to be getting darker by the second which meant a possible storm was approaching. They need to find him as soon as possible.

* * *

Kai throws himself completely into running away, not caring about the branches and bushes that’s giving him bruises as he collides with them accidentally. His vision is impaired from both the darkness and the tears from his eyes. He can feel his lungs being set on fire, as it compresses it and expands in a short amount of time. 

The tall trees of the forest look much more terrifying in this setting. Everything around him was darkness. The moonlight can only brighten up so much, and the illuminated branches were showing shadows that seemed to be playing with him. He hears the different cries of nature all around him, convulsing with his own. 

Afraid of any animal he might run into, Kai sprints away in panic. Suddenly, his foot gets snagged in a large tree root making him trip, hard. His whole body collides with the forest floor, sending pains all throughout his body. He checks his limbs for any sprains or broken bones but thankfully he doesn’t feel any. 

He cradles himself in a fetal position, bawling much harder than before. He felt so pathetic. It’s like the world was continually pushing him down every chance that it gets. 

His mind still can’t wrap around the scene he just saw a while ago. Beomgyu, his boyfriend, was cuddling and snuggling with the one person that was supposedly to become his wife in the future. Kai knows he shouldn’t easily believe in the rumors that his coworkers had been saying but he can’t help but feel heartbroken knowing that there’s a minuscule chance that these rumors are true. 

Kai knows exactly how Beomgyu’s father is. He’s threatened him in the past before and is the reason why they could only become boyfriends when they’re inside their home. Even if these were probably just rumors, there was a strong chance that it’s true as well. Which meant Kai really might lose Beomgyu. 

His heart aches thinking about the other boy. Beomgyu must be scared shitless right now. Regret starts to sweep into his body as he realizes the consequences of his actions. 

Instead of facing the problem head on, Kai had run away like he usually does. He’s so afraid of confrontation. He’s afraid that if he does confront Beomgyu about it, he’s going to say that the rumors were true and he was going to break up with him soon. 

Kai can’t have that. It physically puts him in so much pain just imagining it. Fresh tears pluck to the surface of his red brimmed eyes. He lays with his back to the ground, looking at the night sky. 

He can’t lose Beomgyu. Kai will never let go of the one person he loves the most. He just can’t. He needs to get back to Beomgyu and make sure he never leaves him.

Kai picks himself up from the ground, dusting off any leaves that adhered to his clothes. He looks around nervously. Nothing seemed familiar to him. He didn’t know which direction he had even fallen from. 

“Shit.” He mutters under his breath. “How am I gonna get back to camp now?” He chooses one direction to dash in and hopes for the best.

* * *

It’s probably been two hours now since they started searching for Kai and they still haven’t found him yet. 

Beomgyu is already feeling so exhausted both from crying and from wandering in the woods, shouting for his name. But he doesn’t care. All he can think about is how lonely and scared Kai might feel in these dark woods and it pushes him further. With every second that he doesn’t see a sign of him, he gets even more worried. 

As if things couldn’t get any worse, the dark clouds on the sky finally gather up making rain start to heavily pour down. Lucky for him, his father’s team had prepared an umbrella for each of them just in case. Unlucky for him, Kai was now about to get dripping wet, alone and afraid in this dark forest. 

He surges forward, not wanting for the other boy to get hurt even more. He powers through all the pain and discomfort he was currently experiencing because the person that he cares and loves for the most needed him. 

If something were to happen to his boyfriend, Beomgyu thinks he could never ever forgive himself. With that thought in mind, he screams out his name a little harder, making his way deeper into the woods. 

As the rain gradually increased in power, Beomgyu could no longer call out his name without it being drowned down by the noise. He stumbles and grabs on to a tree trunk, slowly losing hope. What if this is it? What if he never finds Kai and something terrible happens to him? He could be drenched to the bone right now, a cold already forming. 

Beomgyu starts to hyperventilate, his thoughts being heavily influenced by the environment. Suddenly, a familiar hand grips his arm. He looks up, his eyes wide in shock.

“Hyejoo!?”

Hyejoo throws away her makeshift umbrella and sneaks into Beomgyu’s umbrella. “Thank god, you’re here! This stupid rain is going to ruin my hair. Okay so--” 

“But you’re barely even wet! The rain is pouring down hard too, how’d you do it?” Beomgyu looks at her from top to bottom. 

“It’s a basic life skill." She says plainly. "Anyways--” 

“Crafting a make-shift umbrella from sticks and leaves is a basic life skill!?”

Hyejoo rolls her eyes and slaps Beomgyu in the face. “Shut your mouth and listen to what I have to say.”

Beomgyu rubs his cheek, glaring at Hyejoo. “Jeez! What is it?” 

“I think I found Kai.” 

“Well, why didn’t you start with that?” Beomgyu immediately grabs an annoyed Hyejoo and they take off together. 

Hyejoo leads him the way and they arrive to a cave-like structure made up of two boulders that seemed to lean on each other. It looked pretty sturdy and there was various vegetation already growing and filling in the cracks and crevices between them. 

Beomgyu spots a small figure, with their limbs wrapped around each other trying to warm themselves up. He also notices the soft cheeks that plump out when the head faced the floor. It was definitely Kai. 

Beomgyu turns to Hyejoo in confusion. “Why didn’t you just go to him?” 

“He’s desperately looking and waiting for that _one_ person. I thought it would be best for _that_ person to be the one to save him.” 

Beomgyu’s heart softens. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you, Hyejoo.”

“Whatever. Just go and save your boyfriend. I’ll talk with him later as well.” Hyejoo gives him a serious stare. “Make sure you two talk everything out properly or else I *will* beat you up.” 

Beomgyu smiles sincerely at her one last time before passing her the umbrella handle and stepping out into the rain. He sprints quickly and approaches the cave structure where his boyfriend was currently staying at. 

He collapses in front of him, his hair soaking wet. Kai looks up, his swollen eyes bulging at the sight in front of him. 

“Beomie-hyung?” 

The two share a brief moment of eye contact before abruptly meeting in the middle, wrapping their arms around each other tightly. Immediately, warmness seeps and transfers from one to the other, the familiar touch calming down their nerves. 

Before he knows it, Kai had started weeping on his shoulder, his whole body trembling. Beomgyu couldn’t help but cry with the younger boy, caressing his hair to comfort him. They stay like that for a while, letting out all their emotions. 

Eventually they run out of tears, leaving them to simply cradle each other, extremely grateful that the other is safe. The two lovers lean on each other, exhausted from the all the events that transpired. They also decided to stay quiet for a while, not wanting to break this intimate moment yet. 

When Beomgyu senses Kai start to shake from the cold, he takes off his coat and wraps it around him without hesitation. Kai looks up at him, eyes glittering. “But what about you?”

“Don’t worry about me, I’m not cold at all.” Beomgyu lies, pulling Kai closer to warm himself up. 

When the rain wasn’t making as much noise anymore, Beomgyu decides that it was finally time. He gathers all courage he has in his body and opens up his mouth.

“Kai--“

“Hyung--“ 

The both of them crack a smile, amused at how they started at the same time. Beomgyu grabs Kai’s hand tightly, “You go first.” He murmurs.

Kai nods and takes a deep breath. “Hyung, I... just wanted to say sorry.” 

Beomgyu looks at him, completely baffled. “What? Why are you the one apologizing?”

“I’m sorry for running away and making it appear like I didn’t trust you.” Kai looks him deep in the eyes before continuing. “The truth is...I was scared. I--I heard this one _rumor_ and it’s been messing with my head badly and when I saw you and Hyejoo... my mind kind of just jumped to conclusions.” 

Beomgyu was speechless.

“So, I just wanted to apologize. I should have never believed in the rumor and I should have never ran away. From now on, I promise to _always_ trust you. I trust that she’s only a friend and that those stupid rumors about you two getting married are false.” Kai finishes, gazing apologetically at the other boy.

Now it was Beomgyu’s turn to take a deep breath. “Kai... fuck. I should be the one that’s sorry. I feel so bad for putting you all through that.”

“Hyung. Stop it. I was the one in the wrong, and that’s okay. I just hope you can forgive me.” Kai smiles warmly at him.

Beomgyu was stunned, the guilt was eating him up again. He felt like the actual devil for doing this to an angel like Kai. Nausea was quickly overtaking his body. He can’t do this. 

But he has to.

“Kai, those rumors were true.” He hushes out in one breath. Kai bites his lip, staring at him unbelievably. 

“W--What do you mean?”

Beomgyu closes his eyes shut and holds on to Kai’s hands tightly, as if afraid that he might lose him again. 

“My father is arranging a marriage between Hyejoo and I.” Beomgyu felt like he was swallowing down thorns as he continued. “And I don’t know what to do.” 

Beomgyu looks down embarrassingly, too ashamed to look at the other boy. “My father...he’s way too powerful and I might not be able to get out of this.” 

He had to be honest with him no matter what. Looking at their situation, he hasn’t the faintest idea of getting out of it. 

The air between them stands eerily still. You might even be able to hear a pin drop if not for the loud pitter patter of rain hitting the forest floor. Beomgyu’s can tell the water had started seeping through his clothes and on his skin. He’s definitely getting a cold tomorrow, but he doesn’t care.

“Hyung, aren’t you tired of being afraid?” Kai’s serious tone startles the older boy, making him look up immediately. 

“Because _I am_. I hated when I ran away. I felt like such a coward that I didn’t even try to fix things.” He shakes his head, laughing emptily. “And look where it got me.”

“So hyung, let me ask you this.” Kai had a stoic look on his face, tears now flowing freely down his cheeks. “Are you going to back down that easily? Are you gonna let our relationship go just like that?” 

Beomgyu tried sputtering out a response but only a squeak can be heard. 

“Kai--“

Kai scoots over, and brings his hands to cup Beomgyu’s face, inching their faces closer together. 

“Hyung, I might be asking too much but...I need you to fight for me. To fight for us. Please _please_ don’t give up on this.” Kai’s voice cracks. “Because the Beomgyu hyung I fell in love with would _never_ back down from any problem no matter what.” 

And with that, Beomgyu starts sobbing heavily. He felt like a balloon deflating. His emotions flowed freely out of him but he couldn't care less. He grabs Kai and puts their foreheads together. He starts apologizing to him, sputtering his words out pathetically. 

“Fuck, you’re right, Kai. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. _I’m sorry._ I’m letting my fear for my father overwhelm me.” Beomgyu wails, gritting his teeth in anger. “I just feel so _so_ helpless, baby. I’m sick of being controlled by him. I just wanna be with you.” 

“I’m here for you, hyung. You don’t have to face this problem alone. This isn’t just your problem, okay? It’s ours.” Kai soothes the strands of hair on the side of Beomgyu’s face. “We’re going to work through this. Together.” 

Beomgyu nods, hiccuping cutely in front of him. They stay together like that for a while, with Kai hushing words of support and assurance to Beomgyu’s ear. He felt like such a train wreck. He should be the one taking care of Kai, not the other way around. 

“I’m sorry for being such a mess, Kai. I don’t know why you put up with me.” Beomgyu murmurs, sniffling a bit. 

Kai slaps his face lightly, jolting the other boy. “Are you dumb? I’m not putting up with you. Don't say that ever again.” 

“Really?”

“Hyung, relationships aren’t supposed to be perfect. We’re both messes in our own stupid ways but that doesn’t really make us incompatible.” Kai wipes Beomgyu’s tears from his face, simpering. “If anything, it’s more reason for us to care for each other.” 

Kai leans down and presses the most delicate kiss on his boyfriend’s cheeks. “I love you, Beomgyu hyung. Mess and all. So, can you stop crying now, please?”

Beomgyu gazes endearingly at his boyfriend, amazed by how mature he could be. Hard to believe this was the same person who ran away just a while ago. He really must have thought about things deeply while away from everyone. Beomgyu wishes he could have the same ability as him someday. 

Softly, he leans in closer and slots their mouths together. It’s only been a few hours since their last kiss so why does it feel like it’s their first kiss all over again? It felt electrifying, alive and there’s this overwhelming wave of emotions washing over him. 

His face felt even more warm as Kai pressed back just as hard. He moves closer, wrapping his arms around Beomgyu’s head, ruffling the hair at the back of his head. 

Beomgyu breaks the kiss unwillingly, pecking his boyfriend’s lips a few more times. “God, I love you so much.” 

“I know.” Kai kisses him again and again and again just until he gets sick of it. Spoiler alert: he doesn’t.

* * *

Hours pass by and the rain had finally stopped. They tentatively look out from their cave and gape at the view outside. 

The dark clouds had subsided and a whole sky of stars were now finally visible to them. The sparkling jewels of the sky accompanied by the moon illuminated the damp forest, making everything glittery and shining. Kai sat back down near the entrance, pulling down Beomgyu to do the same.

They continue to gawk at the beautiful night sky, huddled together. 

“I guess you could cross this off of our list of activities then.” Beomgyu jokes.

Kai beams at him. “It’s so beautiful, hyung. Each and every star seems so to glow much stronger out here. I just wanna keep one for myself if it was possible.” 

Beomgyu presses a kiss to his cheeks, amused at how cute his boyfriend was. “You know what? I’ll get the stars for you. Heck, I’ll bring down _whole galaxies_ for you.” 

Kai snorts at him, sporting a clear blush. “You can be so corny, hyung. I hope you know that.”

The two exchange laughters heartily. Beomgyu realizes that everything will be okay as long as he has Kai by his side. They spend the night at the cave, deeming it better to go back to the campsite in the morning. 

Thanks to the best girl scout Hyejoo, who thought of leaving trails of colored tape on trees to mark their way, they eventually arrive to their campsite, tired and hungry. Immediately, they were met with a large crowd of people. Some of Beomgyu’s coworkers, who had never even spared him a glance before, had looked so worried for them. Dry towels were handed as soon as possible to the two of them as they were led inside of the main tent. 

The rest was a blur to the both of them. Beomgyu’s father had decided to send the two of them home early after seeing how worn out they were. Beomgyu couldn’t be happier. 

As they were packing up their things, Hyejoo approaches Kai nervously. “Kai, can I talk to you for a second?” 

Beomgyu tenses up, afraid of what’s going to happen between the two. Kai grips Beomgyu’s hand for a second, as if saying not to worry. 

“Sure.” Kai replies, smiling at her. The two leave Beomgyu alone back at their tent, putting away the last of their things.

All of a sudden, one of his father’s bodyguards sticks his head inside their tent.

“Your father has requested your presence.” 

Beomgyu’s blood runs cold. ‘What is it now?’

He steps out of their tent and gets led to a secluded area behind some trees. His father stands by a tall oak tree, a strong gaze set on him. 

Beomgyu tries to avert it, afraid of what his father might say. 

“Beomgyu.” His strong commanding tone shatters the silence of the forest. 

“Yes?”

“Before anything else, let me ask you this _one more time_.” His father leers at him. “What is your relationship with your roommate Huening Kai?” 

Beomgyu’s heart stops beating in his chest, his palms start sweating and his vision becoming blurry. He can’t tell him about their relationship right now. Nothing good will come out of it. 

“He’s.. just my roommate, father. We’ve been over this before.” He says in his best confident voice. 

His father watches him like a hawk, his face unmoving. “Alright then.” He clicks his fingers, prompting a body guard to hand over a folder to Beomgyu. 

“What’s this?”

“I want you to study up on your future bride. Here is a compilation of information about Hyejoo that her father has provided for us.” Beomgyu’s panics, looking down at the thick folder quickly. He flicks through the pages about Hyejoo’s education, her likes and dislikes, her favorite movies and et cetera. 

_‘This was so fucked up.’_

“Oh, don’t be embarrassed. Don’t worry, we also gave her a folder with information about you.” 

Beomgyu gawks at him in shock. “What do you mean information about me? How’d you even get that?” 

Ignoring his question, Beomgyu’s father continues. “I will be setting a proper meeting between you two in the following weeks. But this time, both her father and I will be present for it.” 

“But Dad--“

“But what? 

“ _I don’t want to get married to her!_ ” Beomgyu stands his ground, hands balling to a fist. “And she doesn’t want to get married to me! _There's no way in hell_ we're letting ourselves be used for your selfish needs to obtain more power and money!” 

His father’s eyebrows twitch in curiosity at the sudden outburst of his son. 

“Oh Beomgyu, it absolutely _enthralls_ me that you think you have a say in this.” He spits out before slapping Beomgyu in the face harshly. Beomgyu stumbles back, trying to regain his balance. “You are nothing more than my son and you will do exactly what I say!”

Beomgyu growls and attempts to lunge at him but his father’s bodyguards were quick to hold him back. “Get the fuck off of me!”

“You don’t want to feel my wrath now do you?” He grabs another folder from the bodyguard and rips out a sheet of paper. He holds it up for Beomgyu to read. 

It looked like it was from an agreement or some contract. His eyes scan the paper. It was about prohibitions and the punishments that will result if it was broken. His eyes widen as he spots the familiar signature at the bottom. 

It was a contract that Kai had signed. 

“What the hell is this?” 

His father smiles slyly, snatching the paper back up. “It’s a part of the contract that I had your little roommate sign. It prohibits him to do a lot of things that would be against my best interest.” He pauses to smirk at Beomgyu. “One of them being to have a romantic relationship with you.” 

Beomgyu starts to hyperventilate. _‘Was that the reason Kai didn’t want to go public?’_

He inches closer to Beomgyu and grips his shirt. “I don’t know if your little pea brain knows this but you two aren’t really that subtle with each other.” 

_‘Shit. He knows.’_

“But... if you insist that there really isn’t anything going on between you two then fine! I’ll believe you. Maybe he really is just a roommate to you.” He roughly lets go of Beomgyu’s shirt. “But if he is something more than that then I have some news for you, son.”

He steps back and sits on a chair provided by his bodyguards. “If you step out of line or if you don’t obey my instructions, then I will have to take action against your roommate.” 

That instantly triggers Beomgyu’s protectiveness. He struggles again against the bodyguards, wanting to be set free. “What the fuck do you mean by that, you _monster!_?” 

“I will not only kick Kai out of the apartment but I will also remove him from his job, effective immediately. This means, he will become both homeless and jobless all because of you.” 

Beomgyu’s eyes begin to spring up tears. “ _Fuck you!_ That’s his dream job and he found our apartment fair and square! You can’t do that!”

His father grins evilly. “Oh yes I can. Who do you think helped him get that apartment and that job in the first place? It’s all a part of the agreement he signed.” He cackles maniacally at Beomgyu. “That’s right, I hired him, Beomgyu! I hired him to keep an eye out on you.” 

He taps the folder he's holding. "Your folder that I gave to Hyejoo? _He_ was the one unknowingly filling that up."

Beomgyu’s jaw drops. There was no way his father was telling the truth right? “Y-you’re lying...”

“Of course I’m not!” His dad rolls his eyes. “Though I am a bit disappointed he kept trying to cut the deal off several months ago. He had even stopped sending me weekly updates about you. It’s kind of sad but since he helped you get your job, I let him get away with it.” 

Beomgyu was beyond speechless. He hadn’t known that Kai had been doing this all along. He thinks back to everything that had happened to them in the past, the parties, the blackout, the babysitting...did his father know all about that? 

_‘Was that why Kai was crying that night Beomgyu had surprised him with a sleepover? Did he feel guilty with everything he’d done?’_ Beomgyu’s heart ached.

“Don’t get too furious at him though. He was really only doing what I told him to do.” His father smirks at Beomgyu’s crestfallen face. “I have to say it is quite unfortunate how he’s completely different now. I know you probably had something to do with it.” 

Beomgyu closes his eyes shut, his whole body trembling. “Dad, please, _I’m begging you_ to just leave him alone. Leave _us_ alone!”

“I will. Once everything is settled and you and Hyejoo get married, I will eventually leave you alone. _But_ , if you don’t obey me then I will go through with taking everything away from your roommate. Remember, I could _easily_ take away what I had given him! So, if you had a shred of sense in your body then you would listen to your father!” 

Beomgyu looks at him in shock. There was no way this was his own father. This person was more than a monster. He was the devil itself. His body crumples to the ground, his mind having a whirlwind of thoughts. What the hell is he going to do now?

His father’s voice snaps him back to reality for a second. “You will be receiving more information about the meeting next week. Be sure to be present, or else.” And with that, he was finally left alone. 

He balls up fists and repeatedly slams it down to the ground in a fit of anger. He cries silently, wondering why this was the life given to him. He may have had all the money in the world but at what cost? Having no freedom and a say in what happens to your own life? This was beyond unfair. 

Remembering Kai was probably back at their tent looking for him, he tries his best to clean himself up and meet back with his boyfriend. 

He couldn’t even be angry with him for too long. Kai was probably beating himself up every night ever since he’d stopped working for his father. He’s been making it up to Beomgyu as much as he can. But it's still a conversation they need to have in the future. 

Upon entering their tent, he was met with a cheery Kai. His heart instantly warms at the sight of his happy boyfriend. Beomgyu was way more determined now to do anything to preserve that happiness for him. 

No one should dare to hurt his Kai.

“Why do you seem so happy, baby? Did the talk go well with Hyejoo?”

Kai beams at him, nodding. “Mhm! You’re right, she was totally nice and explained her side properly. I actually really liked talking to her. I think I wanna try being friends with her, if it’s okay with you?” 

Beomgyu subconsciously gives his boyfriend a hug, needing his warmth to comfort him. “You’re so cute. Of course it’s okay.”

“Great!” Kai giggles. “Hyejoo also said she’s coming up with her own plan to get out of the marriage as soon as she patches things up with her girlfriend.”

“Oh really?”

“Yep! See, hyung? We have two other people to help fix this problem with us. If we get our minds together and think, we'll be able to find a way out.” Kai sighs dreamily, kissing Beomgyu’s cheek. 

He pulls back, a bit concerned. “Woah, what happened to your cheek?” He caresses the reddening area, making Beomgyu hiss lightly in pain.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I had just um accidentally walked into a tree...” Beomgyu lies, giving Kai a goofy smile.

Kai cracks up at that and thankfully buys it. “Really, hyung? Ah, you’re so clumsy!” Beomgyu glares at him jokingly before laughing along. 

They quickly finish up packing and bring their bags to their car. He notices Hyejoo coming up to them.

“Hey. I just wanted to see you guys off.” She says, her triangle mouth forming a smile.

Kai immediately runs to hug her, extremely fond of his new friend. “You have my number right? I’m sorry I couldn’t save yours right now, mine got soaked in the rain.”

“I’ll text you!” Hyejoo gives him one last hug before he gets inside the car.

Hyejoo turns to Beomgyu, her eyes turning serious.

“Did you get the folder too?” 

Beomgyu nods.

“They’re really getting serious about this, Beomgyu. We need to plan this out soon, I think they might be moving up the date.” Hyejoo hushes out, her voice filled with urgency.

“My father he--“ His starts, voice waivering. “He threatened to make Kai pay if I don’t obey him.” 

“Shit.” Hyejoo looks up at the sky in annoyance. “He might do the same to Chaewon. What the fuck do we do now!? We can’t let them hurt our significant other.” 

“I don’t know what to do, Hyejoo.” 

Suddenly, Kai unrolls the window and pops his head out cutely. “Beep beep~! Let’s hurry up hyung, I have to soak my phone in rice!”

“Okay baby, I’ll be right there!” He replies cheerily. Kai beams at them and closes the window up again. 

“You know what? We’re all tired from camp. Let’s think about this another day and recharge first, alright?” Beomgyu decides. 

“Alright.” Hyejoo gives him one last hug before sending him off. “Promise to keep in touch?”

“I promise.”

And with that, they finally drive off away from the campsite. It was finally time to get back into the city and their apartment. 

Beomgyu looks fondly at the sleeping boy on the passenger’s seat, his hoodie engulfing his whole body. He caresses Kai cheeks, making the boy pout his lips jokingly in response. Beomgyu smiles lovingly at him. He truly loves this boy with this whole heart. 

He turns his attention back on the road. He still needs to talk to Kai about what his father had told him. He needs to hear his explanation for doing all of that. 

He grips the stirring wheel firmly. No matter what, he also knows he has to fight back against his father. He has to do it for himself, Kai, Hyejoo and her girlfriend. The future seems a lot scarier now, with a million possibilities to come out of this.

However, one thing is certain. They’re never going down without a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello friends! (⚈︣ ͜ʖ ⚈᷅)✌
> 
> to anyone else who also want to punch beomgyu's father in the face, say I!  
> (╯ ͠ಥ ͜ʖ ͡ಥ)╯┻━┻
> 
> btw, we will be going back to the cute and fluffy beomkai stuff in the next parts to give them time to breathe hehehe ❤️❤️
> 
> but what are your thoughts? what do you think our gang should do to escape the wrath of their fathers? ⊂◉̃ .◉̃つ
> 
> ٩(>̃ ₃<̃)۶ any kudos/comments will be greatly appreciated! 
> 
> thank you so much for reading!
> 
> p.s. follow me on @tokyocherry_twt for updates ❤️🌸


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